In record and/or replay systems of the type wherein magnetic tape moves in a loop about a drum or headwheel which is rotated by a motor to scan transducer gaps across the tape, the drum will sometimes stall due to the tendency of the tape to stick thereon. Such stall conditions frequently occur just after a tape has been threaded in the record and/or replay system and the first command is given for the drum to rotate in a desired direction. Because tape sticking or friction (sticktion) on the drum tends to increase with increased humidity and as the wrap angle of the tape loop about the drum is increased, the stall problem encountered in each record and/or replay system is different and changes from day to day. However, systems having large wrap angle tape loops about the drum encounter the greatest stall problem, such as systems which utilize the SMPTE type C tape format for which the wrap angle of the tape loop about the drum is 346.degree..